A MIDDLE CLASS:

AND OTHER SERMONS.

BY

JOHN THOMAS JEFF COCK,

M.A., F.S.A.,

Rector of S. Peter's Collegiate Church, Wolverhampton; Proctor for
the Clergy of the Archdeaconry of Stafford.

BIBLIOTHECA

JUL 1881

BODLEIANA

LONDON:

BEMROSE & SONS, 23, OLD BAILEY;

AND DERBY.

MDCCCLXXXI.

100. cc.

ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL.

CONTENTS.

SERMON I.-A MIDDLE CLASS.

Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food

convenient for me, lest I be full, and deny Thee,

"Who is the Lord?" or lest I be poor,

and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

-PROVERBS XXX. 8, 9

and say,

SERMON II.-THE CARPENTER,

Is not this the Carpenter?--ST. MARK VI. 3

SERMON III.—A POOR PROFESSION.

(St. Matthew's Day in Ember Week.)

And as Jesus went forth from thence, He saw a man,

named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom:

and He said unto him, Follow Me. And he arose,

and followed Him.-ST. MATTHEW IX. 9

SERMON IV.-HIGH IN OFFICE.

Then said these men, we shall not find any occasion

against this Daniel, except we find it against him

concerning the law of his God.-DANIEL VI. 5

PACE

I

12

24

36

SERMON V.-CHEATING MAN AND GOD.

(Preached at the end of the Christian Year.)

A false balance is an abomination to the Lord: but a

just weight is His delight.-PROVERBS XI. I

46

SERMON VI.-INFLUENCE.

Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on Him?

-ST. JOHN VII. 48 ..

(Preached on St. Andrew's Day.

SERMON VII.-AN INTRODUCTION.

And he brought him to Jesus.-ST. JOHN I. 42..

SERMON VIII. THE MATRON.

(On the death of the Princess Alice, December 14th, 1878.)

Notwithstanding she shall be saved in child-bearing, if

they continue in faith and charity and holiness with

sobriety.1 TIMOTHY II. 15

SERMON IX.-THE BUSINESS WOMAN.

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64

And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple,

of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God,

heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she

attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

And when she was baptized, and her household, she be-

sought us, saying, "If ye have judged me to be

faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide

there." And she constrained us.-ACTS XVI. 14, 15 82

SERMON X.-RELATIONS.

For neither did His brethren believe in Him.-ST. JOHN

VII. 5:

These all continued with one accord in prayer and suppli-

cation, with the women, and Mary the mother of

Jesus, and with His brethren.--ACTS I. 14..

SERMON XI.-CIVIC OFFICE.

(Before the Mayor and Corporation of Wolverhampton, 1878.)

The powers that be are ordained of God.-ROMANS

Whatsoever forms of authority are in actual existence,

it is by God that they have been and are constituted

and ordered.

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102

SERMON XII.--THE CITIZEN.

(Before the Mayor and Corporation of Wolverhampton, 1879.)

A citizen of no mean city.-ACTS XXI. 39 ..

SERMON XIII. THE VOLUNTEERS.

(Preached before a Rifle Corps.)

The Centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not

worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof, but

speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under

me and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth, and to

another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do

this, and he doeth it.

112

When Jesus heard it, He marvelled, and said to them that

followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so

great faith, no, not in Israel.-ST. MATT. VIII. 8-10 123

SERMON XIV.-CHURCH HELPERS.

He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that

ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy with

cheerfulness.-ROMANS XII. 8

SERMON XV.-THE PRIVATE LAYMAN:

Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick.-ST. JOHN

133

SERMON XVI.-TILL HE FIND IT.

What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose

one of them, doth not leave the ninety-and-nine in the

wilderness, and go after that which is lost until he find

it ?-ST. LUKE XV. 4..

SERMON XVII.-BREAD AND SIN.

(Preached after a Good Harvest.)

Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our

sins.-ST. LUKE XI. 3, 4..

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